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Victoria Bañales talks with Watsonville native and poet Olga Rosales Salinas, who discusses and reads from her book, La Llorona: Poetry & Prose. In this stunning collection in which La Llorona’s presence looms large, Rosales Salinas tackles the violence of deportation, being first gen, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, religion, mental illness, assimilation, and more. All proceeds from book sales go to the Rosales Sisters’ Scholarship, which benefits PVUSD Latinx students.Olga Rosales Salinas is a content writer and freelancer who produces poetry, short stories, and essays. Her debut collection of poetry and prose, La Llorona was published in August of 2021 by Birch Bench Press. Her column, Thriving While Anxious at Jumble & Flow, speaks to a generalized anxiety disorder that has shaped much of her writing and content. She also writes columns and blogs for San Francisco Bay Area Moms; and was featured by Los Sotelos Podcast for her philanthropy and activism in starting a non-profit, benefiting first-generation and immigrant students; The Rosales Sisters’ Scholarship. She is passionate about all of her creative endeavors which include; motherhood, mental health, fitness, writing and wife-life.

Rosales Sisters’ Scholarship:

rsscholarship.com & @rosalessistersscholarship (instagram), @RosalesSistersScholarship (facebook)

Olga Rosales Salinas:

olgars.com & @olgarosalessalinas (both insta/facebook) @olgitarosales (twitter)